Protection involves personal safety. It means taking responsibility for yourself and for your partners. Of course, it means that you MUST make safer sex a priority. We call it "safer" now because we know the only "safe" sex is no sex. There are ways to protect yourself though, from physical effects you'd rather avoid, such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Barrier methods (like condoms and diaphragms) coupled with a good spermicide are good bets. Hormonal contraceptives like pills, injections and patches work very well but may come with side effects. Talk to your OB/GYN or physician about your options or see the Resources section of this site for links to more information.

There are other safety issues to take into consideration. We can take measures to ensure our personal safety is not compromised. While it is NEVER our fault if we are raped or abused, there are some precautions we can take to avoid those terrible events. Don't walk alone at night, don't dress provactively around strangers, don't put yourself in compromising positions with partners unless you feel you know them well enough to be safe, and for goodness' sake, don't take pills from strangers. It can even be unsafe to leave a drink unattended in a bar or club, or to accept a drink from someone you don't know well, as the drinks may have been drugged. Also, drugs and alcohol do lower our inhibitions. We can protect ourselves by avoiding intoxication when we'll be in situations that present the opportunity unsafe circumstances. If we've accepted the fact that a "designated driver" is a good idea, why not a designated sober chaperone?

Finally, we can protect our emotional well-being, and that of our partners, by always being clear about our intentions. Do not mislead partners into being sexually intimate if you suspect they have different assumptions about what it means to your relationship. Similarly, don't assume you know how sexual intimacy with partners might change (or not change) the relationship- talk about it! Tell them how you feel, what you expect, and what you want. Put up with what may be an awkward conversation now and avoid misunderstandings and potential heartache later.